James Hoffmann

If there’s only one book on your shelf about coffee, there’s no doubt in our mind which one it should be: The World Atlas of Coffeeby James Hoffmann. Hoffmann, famously, is the co-owner of London’s Square Mile Coffee Roasters and the 2007 World Barista Champion. His popular Youtube channel has changed the way we use our French press, helped us keep chaff off our counter, and given us some candid commentary on everything from “specialty” instant coffee to new products. Hoffmann’s groundbreaking book is now available in a second edition, which includes six new country profiles. Hoffmann was gracious enough to answer a few questions we had about the book.

First of all congratulations on the second edition of The World Atlas of Coffee. How long has the second edition been in the works?

In some ways work started on the second edition the moment the first was released. I kept a running file of people’s feedback, captured little tiny errors or things I wanted to improve. The edition was actually commission over 18 months ago. The nature of books like this – very heavily illustrated – is that they need to be wrapped up nearly six months before publication, so there’s weird period of nearly half a year after you’ve finished the work before you can really talk about it….

Author. Entrepreneur. Barista champion. James Hoffmann wears a lot of hats. One of his most recent Youtube videos makes us think one of those hats must be that of the earth’s sorcerer supreme. Using only a demitasse spoon Hoffmann shows how you can eliminate the pesky static electricity that causes coffee chaff to cover our counter tops. Watch and be amazed.

Almost everyone owns a French press. The ubiquitous brewing device is prized for its simplicity and yet hated by many coffee aficionados for the sludgy mouthfeel. But according to James Hoffmann, you’re probably using it wrong. In a new brewing guide entitled The Ultimate French Press Technique, Hoffmann explains how to get a rich, fully-extract French press with less of the silt. Everything you thought you knew about press pots will be brought into question!

The holiday season is upon us, and you need relevant gift ideas. Whether you’re looking to find something special for the caffeine-addict in your life or a hint to drop around your rich relatives- we’ve got the coffee gift guide to meet all of your consumerist needs.

1. The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann

Coffee professionals have long lamented the absence of an authoritative, single-volume introduction to coffee. Coffee luminary James Hoffmann’s The World Atlas of Coffee aims to change that. Hoffmann is a former world barista champion and the founder of one of England’s most esteemed coffee companies, and he claims writing the book was his most challenging endeavor yet. After reading it, we understand why. The World Atlas offers concise, clear explanation about coffee varieties, farming practices, brew methods, and history. Perhaps most impressively it has a profile of every major coffee producing country, from America to Zambia. This book belongs in every coffee drinker’s library….

At The Compass we have a simple approach to coffee: do whatever James Hoffmann says. Thankfully, that’s about to get a lot easier now. Today on his blog Hoffmann announced he’s publishing his first book, The World Atlas of Coffee. Considering the burgeoning growth of specialty coffee, there’s a surprising dearth of reliable books on coffee. With Hoffmann’s new book, we’re optimistic we’ve finally found a single authoritative tome on coffee. Hoffmann comments,

The book isn’t about me, or about Square Mile Coffee, but just about coffee. The book is divided into three sections: an introduction to coffee in general, a section on brewing techniques (aimed at making professional standards accessible and worthwhile to home users) and then the atlas section, with individual countries divided by continent.